Integrity Healthcare Communities – Healthcare with Integrityhttp://www.integrityhcc.com
We are Integrity.
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:49:29 +0000 en-US
hourly
1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1Life is a Journeyhttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/11/29/life-is-a-journey/
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 18:44:23 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6937Life is a journey. We travel ups and downs and winding roads as we experience the journey. Most of us learn to take one day at a time. Some of us don’t.

Integrity Healthcare of Belleville has implemented a brand new and very unique recovery plan for our residents. We provide excellent behavior health services, but we’ve added something really special.

Journey of Hope programming is designed to help our residents make the necessary adjustments and make all the right turns in their journey. We want them to find a route that will include teaching them all the life skills they need to return to a more independent home in the community. We provide them with the best psychosocial services, so their journey includes plenty of interaction with friends and family, and so their journey includes the ability to get along in a workplace or social settings.

We don’t want them to stay with us forever. We create a specific plan for each resident and happily transition them to the community, when the time comes.

Daytona Smith spent a few months with us. Ms. Smith told us that she was thankful that our staff worked closely with her and really gave her another chance at life. She said our staff went “above and beyond” to help her, when she needed help. When she returned to the community, she told us she would miss our staff, but would stay in touch.

Ms. Smith made huge improvements with us. She learned lots of new household skills and decorated her own room, making it the nicest room on the Journey of Hope unit. She came to us with computer skills, but we were able to help her go out into the community and socialize and communicate with people. We helped her with her job search and worked with her on socializing in the workplace environment. We helped her search for an apartment.

We are dedicated to preparing our residents to leave us, so they make all the right turns as they continue their Journey of Hope. We are Integrity! We provide Care You Can Trust.

]]>ZOOM! … Plus 30 … Is a Winning Combination!http://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/11/26/zoom-plus-30-is-a-winning-combination/
Mon, 26 Nov 2018 17:56:25 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6926Sheila Hudson recently spent a few days in Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale. She needed accelerated therapy. Our team of therapists had her ready to go back home in a short three weeks.

ZOOM Revved-Up Rehab, is our accelerated therapy program. After a stroke, after surgery or after a traumatic accident, our therapy program will return your loved one to their home as soon as possible. With highly skilled licensed therapists, we provide physical, occupational and speech therapy, and we work diligently to optimize the outcome for our residents.

Families are often faced with the life-changing challenges that come after a loved one has experienced trauma. Surgeries, auto accidents, falls, strokes, heart attacks or the debilitating effects of cancer … all leave patients with the need to reduce pain while they rebuild strength and mobility. ZOOM! puts that process on the fast track!

Our therapy team created a customized plan for Ms. Hudson. They identified bench marks and set goals and kept her on schedule! She said that our therapy team, “got her exactly where she needed to be so she could go home.” Going home was clearly her primary goal!

Ms. Hudson had lots of good things to say about Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale.

The food wasn’t home cooking, but it was good!

She went to a few of the engagement activities, and they were fun!

Staff were nice and helped her when she needed help

She said she just wanted to go home, but her experience was a good one and she will recommend the facility and the therapy team to others.

How do we know all these things?

Ms. Hudson is a part of our Plus 30 program.

What is Plus 30?

The movement of patients between health care settings can be a frightening process. Often times, families and caregivers feel lost in the transition. Patients change from primary care physicians to a hospital physician. Then they might move from the hospital to the care team as a patient in a skilled nursing facility. The next move for them might be to go back to their home.

Integrity Healthcare Communities care about this transition. We do our part to improve these transitions for the residents that have entrusted their care to us with timely follow-up, support and coordination after the resident leaves our care setting.

For at least 30 days, we continue to communicate with all who discharge from our communities. We send cards, telephone and make home visits if needed. We want to make sure our past residents are taking their medications and keeping appointments with their physician. We want to be certain that they are eating properly and that any at-home services are being provided. We never really say goodbye! If additional days of follow-up are required, we continue our program until we are satisfied that our past resident is doing well.

ZOOM! … Plus 30 … is a really successful combination of services! We provide Care You Can Trust! We are Integrity!

]]>Charity is Silenthttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/11/09/charity-is-silent/
Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:59:55 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6921Charity is silent. This is a phrase that was often used by my father, who would be 99 years old were he still alive. I fondly remember secretive, nighttime visits to elderly church members who we called ‘shut-ins’. He would quietly tap on their front door and walk away, leaving behind a box of groceries. I remember riding along with him in his pick-up truck, when he would leave baskets of garden produce that he had raised, or buckets filled with fresh fish that he had caught. Daddy knew people all over our small town and he did his best to make sure that anybody who needed food … had food. My daddy grew up during the Great Depression, and like so many of the folks still living in our Integrity Healthcare Communities, he knew what it meant to go without food. As an adult, he practiced charitable giving in the most gracious way … quietly. He never talked about it. He just did it.

As we enter this season of giving, it is so important for all of us to take care of our neighbors, especially neighbors who are elderly or are disadvantaged in other ways. Anything we can give is helpful, and our giving should be done in that quiet but generous way! Take time to get to know your neighbors and your co-workers. Sometimes we work right beside someone who has a need and we never know it.

Most communities benefit from food pantries, delivered meals programs, senior centers and churches where daily meals are served. Some of these programs are tax dollar supported and others depend on generous donations from the public. We certainly need to do our parts in providing that kind of assistance, but don’t forget that elderly person or young family who might be too proud (or too embarrassed) to access those programs. Those are the folks who need our personal attention.

We all love to deliver a plate of homemade cookies, but to really support people in need, plan to give additional items. It’s smart to give non-perishable food products and things that might fill a pantry shelf for later use. Always consider the fact that elderly people often have trouble using can openers, so look for pop-top cans of vegetables and fruits. Look for healthy canned products that are low-sodium. Give single serving sizes that are so readily available now and skip the cans all together. Soups, stews and beans are great to add to the gift box. Pouches (instead of cans) of tuna, salmon or chicken are healthy additions. Complete meals in a box are handy. No-sugar pudding cups that don’t require refrigeration are a nice treat.

Food products are just the beginning of what families and elderly friends need. Things that many of us take for granted as just a part of everyday living are very expensive for the disadvantaged. Include kitchen essentials like foil, sandwich bags, paper towels, dish detergent or laundry detergent. Include personal hygiene products such as shampoo, bath soap, toilet paper, tissues and tooth paste.

The employees in our Integrity Healthcare Communities are busy with their food drives and holiday charitable projects right now. We encourage all our followers and readers to do the same thing. Gather your friends and identify those families in your community that need help and then quietly provide that help. Include your children and grandchildren in these projects. Teach them the importance of giving. Teach them that there is a certain ‘gift in the giving’ and that is a gift to ourselves … the knowledge that we have quietly helped those in need. Charity is silent.

Debbie Moore, Regional Director of Business Development

]]>ZOOM! Jobs Well Donehttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/10/12/zoom-jobs-well-done/
Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:50:20 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6912On August 24th, Michael Gossett was admitted to Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale to participate in ZOOM!, our revved up rehab. His condition prevented him from taking care of himself and he said he was in a “desperate situation”. At the end of his stay, just a few weeks later, he sat down with the Administrator and discussed his experience with IHC Carbondale.

Michael praised the Director of Nursing and the Administrator for helping him through the admission process. He praised the nursing care team because they helped him tolerate getting out of bed and made sure that he ‘got his meals’!

When asked about the therapy staff, Michael said that even though he wasn’t ‘back 100%’, they had returned him to a point that he will be able to make those last few improvements. ZOOM! had worked perfectly for him and he appreciated the therapy staff and the way they approached goal setting and gaining results

He reported that all the staff … from Housekeeping to Nursing … had been good to him and said he could only praise them. The staff were always attentive and prompt.

Food was on his mind during the conversation and Michael said he was fed more than he would normally eat, so he was never hungry. He loved having sweets with every meal and enjoyed all the snacks!

Michael was never bored because the Activities Team kept him busy with upbeat things to do. He said his laundry was always done faster than he ever did it himself, and maintenance was done before he had to ask! He praised the renovations underway, pointing out the new flooring.

Dr. Hanson visited Michael 3 times in 4 weeks and he was very pleased with that kind of attention.

In summary, Michael Gossett said he discharged as a very happy man. He hopes he doesn’t have to return, but Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale will be his first choice, if he needs care again.

We provide Care You Can Trust!

]]>Emergency Teamwork – Care You Can Trusthttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/09/17/emergency-teamwork-care-you-can-trust/
Mon, 17 Sep 2018 19:40:16 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6871On a warm and stormy night in July 2018, the Administrator of Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale, Illinois received a call from staff informing him that alarms were sounding in the facility. While he was en route to the building, a second call came in from a nurse, informing him that smoke was coming from some of the air vents. Administrator, Tim Conner, told his nurse that he was on his way, but that she should begin to evacuate the building.

The police department arrived. The fire department arrived. Neighbors, having seen the arrival of first responders also responded and went to the building to help. The facility’s residents were moved to a neighboring church, where a staging area was established. Some residents were in wheelchairs and others had been transferred in their beds, but all the residents were safe.

Tim Conner contacted fellow administrators at sister facilities in Marion and Herrin, Illinois. Integrity Healthcare of Marion Administrator, Sherry Belcher notified her lead team and asked them to come in and prepare for emergency transfers. Sherry contacted her Transportation Aide and sent him to Carbondale to help with the evacuation and transportation of residents. The Housekeeping Supervisor arrived and instructed his staff to start getting extra rooms ready for admissions, he and two of his staff members stayed a few hours preparing for the emergency admits. The Administrator, Business Office Manager, and Social Service Director arrived and immediately set up stations so they could handle admissions paperwork, create identification bracelets and direct the transfers to their rooms. Special efforts were made to keep the transfers together with their friends. Sherry said, “A familiar face is important in these emergency situations.” Extra nurses arrived to assist in the admission process and extra CNAs arrived in time to toilet each new admission and take care of their needs as they arrived. Sherry and her team assessed the food supply for their extra guests and ensured all diet orders were complete for the next day. Dietary staff were alerted of the situation and asked to come in early to prep for the extra residents. The lead team went to each room to meet the new residents and to assure them that they were safe and secure at Integrity Healthcare of Marion.

When Integrity Healthcare of Herrin Administrator, Lauriel Wingerter received a call from Tim Conner, she wrapped up her 2-year old baby and they headed to the Carbondale facility. She contacted her lead team and sent them to their own Herrin facility to make sure that all their rooms were ready for emergency arrivals. She specifically delegated certain responsibilities to her employees. The Dietary Manager was making certain there was plenty of extra food. The Social Service Director and Business Office Manager were making sure that the necessary admissions paperwork was completed. The lead CNA and Housekeeper made certain rooms were set up and beds were comfortably made. The Director of Nursing was responsible for bed assignments. Extra nurses came in to provide the care needed. Assured that her staff were doing their jobs well, Lauriel stopped in Carbondale to help on the scene. While her baby remained asleep in her carrier, Lauriel helped return residents to the part of the Carbondale facility deemed safe. Meanwhile at Integrity Healthcare of Herrin, staff were prepared. Lauriel said, “The adrenaline was pumping and I have never been prouder of my team.”

Tim Conner remains calm as he talks about this experience. “We are always prepared,” he said. He applauds his staff for acting calmly and promptly. “They couldn’t have done a better job,” he added.

Tim also applauds the local response, “Carbondale’s fire and police were phenomenal; Members of the Grace United Methodist Church opened their doors to our evacuees.”

While Team Integrity jumped into action and the evacuation and transfers were handled smoothly, the evening hours on that July night were just the beginning of the team work.

While medical records, treatments and medication were moved with the respective residents, other things had to be moved later. Supplies and clothing were transported from Carbondale to Herrin and Marion. Reclining chairs were moved to assure that residents were comfortable.

Tim Connor issues special thanks to Dr. Javed and Dr. Tucker who made extra efforts to assist the smooth transition. Tim said that Janet Hester, Regional Clinical Director, for arriving with the IHC of Anna transport van and driver. Without that, the transportation would have been much slower. He applauds Kristi Karch, Regional Director of Operations for maintaining a detailed log of everything and everybody that was transferred.

Exactly 14 days later, over two dozen residents were moved back to their home at Integrity Healthcare of Carbondale. The minimal damage in the building was a result of a power surge created by a power outage from a rain storm. An air conditioning unit and an air exchange unit had to be replaced.

No resident was harmed. We provide Care You Can Trust. Integrity Healthcare Communities.

In one of our recent Activities sessions, I asked many of our residents for words of wisdom. I asked them what advice they would give to the younger generation. Here are their answers!

Believe in yourself

Whenever hard times come along know that things can be fixed with time. Don’t give up it could always be worse.

Open your heart and your arms instead of your mouth

Roll with the punches

Tend to your own knitting

Three squares a day improves your health

Live life to the fullest

Top of the list is you must have a higher education

Anything that goes in your body must be clean and pure

Trust and believe in the Lord

Stay away from taverns

Stay away from cigarettes

Don’t gamble

Make friends and give due respect

Go to school and mind your parents

Help keep friends out of trouble

Go to bed early so you are able to wake up in early in the morning

Don’t take candy from strangers

Things cannot go right all the time.

Pray everyday

Believe in yourself

Keep your eyes open

Later that afternoon, one of our gentlemen slipped a small torn piece of paper in my hand. He said, “find this and read it.” After I did, I sure understood why he wanted me to ready this poem by Peter Winbrow Senior, written in 1934. It still holds true today!

The Man in the Glass

Peter “Dale” Winbrow, Sr.

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
and the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
who judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts the most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass

Some people may think you a straight-shooting chum
and call you a wonderful guy
But the guy in the glass says you’re only a bum
if you can’t look him straight in the eye

He’s the fellow to please never mind all the rest
for he’s with you clear up to the end
And you’ve passed your most dangerous difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend

You may fool the whole world down the pathway
of life and get pats on the back as pass
But your final reward will be heartaches and
tears if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Fun in the Sun: Safety Tips for Outdoor Mobility Using Assistive Devices

For many older adults, summer is a time for outdoor activities like swimming and picnics with family and friends. However, summer can also bring an increased risk of falls due to difficulty with ambulation outdoors. Mobility can be particularly challenging in an outdoor environment especially if an individual must navigate using an assistive device.

Ambulating outdoors with an assistive device can be intimidating and often tricky for individuals using them for the first time. Before using an assistive device outdoors you (or your therapist) must set up the device for your specific body and overall mobility needs. Regardless of which type of assistive device you use (walker, cane, etc.), you need to have the device fit you properly. Proper placement of the device is also quite important for optimal use and function. When using a walker, it is placed right in front of you but when using a cane it is held in the opposite hand of the affected side or leg.

Once the device is set up and adjusted appropriately, it is time to get moving outdoors. Proper ambulation and walking pattern will vary greatly depending on the assistive device being used and on the amount of weight that is placed on the affected limb. Regardless of the device you are using, you will start by advancing the device first, followed by the affected or surgical side, and lastly the non-affected/stronger side.

If you use an assistive device for outdoor mobility, remove any outdoor rugs or unnecessary objects to allow you to move freely using your walker/ cane/ wheelchair. Look out for extension cords and/or debris on the sidewalk or walkways of outdoor areas. If using a cane, use a rubber tip on the end of the cane to help prevent slipping and provide some shock absorption. When using a standard walker, remember to pick it up and move it about a step in front of you. Use caution on thick surfaces such as grass that you pick it up high enough and don’t get it caught. Try not to use a walker on stairs if at all possible. Have someone carry it for you. Make sure that outdoor handrails are secure and accessible. Find out how many stairs there are to go up and down. Using appropriate supervision, you should practice before you ascend or descend any outdoor stairs.

By seeking professional advice to analyze your unique situation, the rehabilitation team can offer assistance and guidance to minimize falls and increase outdoor safety. In addition, your rehabilitation team can offer assistance in creating a plan for outdoor safety and fall risk reduction that includes:

Identifying changes that can facilitate ease of movement throughout an individual’s outdoor environment.

Your rehab team can perform comprehensive home outdoor assessments and make recommendations on necessary modifications and equipment that may be needed.

Your rehab team can make recommendations and provide training in the use of adaptive equipment.

Your rehab team can look at what tasks the individual needs and wants to perform each day to ensure comfort, safety and enjoyment in their outdoor living environment.

The Rehabilitation Team assists each person in staying safe in their outdoor living environment. The Rehabilitation Team is there to support them through both their challenges and successes.

]]>Brian Went Home – A Guest Posthttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/06/25/brian-went-home-a-guest-post/
Mon, 25 Jun 2018 17:54:09 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6767Hi, my name is Sarah Herrin. I have been doing occupational therapy since 2010 and currently work in the Alton/Godfrey area. One of my favorite things about my job is getting to meet, work with, and help people and their families. Although meeting and getting to know new people all of the time is great, working with them every day and watching them progress and recover is extremely rewarding and keeps me coming back every day! I have met and worked with a lot of wonderful people, young and old, and from every walk of life and watched many overcome huge obstacles!

Now let me tell you about someone special I met and have had the pleasure of working with for many weeks now. His name is Brian. He is a son to two wonderful people, a father of two children, a grandfather to three little children, a brother to one sister , an uncle to one nephew , a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, and a friend to many!

After battling back, neck, and shoulder pain for quite some time Brian became very ill and his pain continued to become unbearable. At the end of December he was hospitalized due to a serious infection in his spine and underwent a neck surgery. He had to have C4-C7 cervical plating leaving him paralyzed from the waste down, having no use of his right upper extremity (his dominant hand), and unable to eat or swallow causing him to be placed on a feeding tube. He remained in the hospital for many many weeks receiving therapy, learning how to eat and swallow again, and recovering from his surgery. He was then discharged to a rehab facility to receive more skilled therapy services, which is where I met him.

I came into work on a Monday and saw a new name on my schedule and a face I had not seen before. I reviewed his medical chart and read about what brought this young guy to our facility. I then went and introduced myself to Brian. He was very friendly, but kind of a quiet guy. He was a little anxious and not very excited to be there and unsure and unfamiliar with the whole situation. I don’t remember exactly how our first conversation went, but I do know for sure we were both laughing by the end of it! I realized immediately even though Brian was quiet, he had quite the since of humor and was a very sweet person. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but we were going to have fun! I also realized he had and continues to have a long difficult road ahead of him.

From day one he has given 100% and worked to his fullest potential in therapy, no matter how much pain he is in or how bad he feels. Spending nearly every day, all day in the therapy room since he got there, doing whatever is asked of him and whatever he can to get stronger no matter how hard it is.

His determination, motivation, and positive attitude and outlook is amazing!! He wants nothing more than to get better! Not to mention his since of humor has been great entertainment and gotten us through some pretty tough and challenging days. He has brought so much joy to my job and has once again reminded me of why I come to work every day and do the job I do!

Although his life will never be the same and this is not the life he ever imagined for himself, he continues to stay positive about his situation and motivated to become as independent as possible. Every day he is making progress, learning, and working hard to adapt to his new life!

Due to his insurance he will have to be discharged in the next 2 weeks. His goal is to be able to some day live in his own home or apartment again with hired assistance. But, for now he will be going home to live with his wonderful parents.

He is anxious and excited about going home, but also a little scared and nervous about what his future holds and overwhelmed by the financial burden and strain of his medical expenses, the cost of care, the astronomical cost of equipment, and the cost of supplies that will be required for him to live a happy, healthy, and safe life .

In order for him to return home and get the care and therapy he needs there are things he must have including a wheelchair ramp to be able to get into his home, adaptations to his parents home to make it wheelchair accessible, a power wheelchair carrier for the back of an automobile so he can get to appointments, family functions, etc., assistance with daily tasks, supplies for his daily tasks/needs, and continued therapy services.

Please please help me HELP BRIAN GET HOME and live the life he deserves !! He has come so far and made such huge gains I cannot bare the thought of this young guy not getting the things and funds he needs to be successful when he leaves to go home.

“People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”. I believe there was definitely a reason Brian ended up at the facility where I work and although my co-worker and I have worked with him every day to get him where he is today, my job is not done yet and unfortunately I cannot do it alone. I have created this gofundme account to make this challenge possible for Brian and his family.

I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for your time and your help to make this possible!

Sincerely,
Sarah

]]>Memories of Grandmother – A Guest Posthttp://www.integrityhcc.com/2018/06/25/memories-of-grandmother-a-guest-post/
Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:18:36 +0000http://www.integrityhcc.com/?p=6758When my grandmother became ill and started to forget everyone that loved her, she would fight with us when we wanted to help her bathe or use the bathroom. She remembered her childhood and using outdoor facilities and didn’t remember that she had inside plumbing. We had to remove all the knives from the house for her own safety and for the safety of family members, because she had forgotten who they were. When she called me by someone else’s name, I just went right along with her, to make things easy. She didn’t remember my mother either, so we just pretended to be whoever she wanted us to be.

A memory that stands out is a conversation my grandmother had with my 12-year-old son the day before she passed away. She told him to make sure he ate plenty because there was so much food on the table. She told him if there wasn’t enough food, she would make him more. Through tears, he replied to her, “Mama, I just ate at home, but I can always eat again.” There was no food on the table.

We learned a great deal from spending time taking care of her. In her mind, she was in a totally different place than we were. Sometimes she was a child who didn’t want it known that she had knocked over the bird cage. When we put her to bed at night, she wanted to make sure that we tucked in all three of them. She thought her sisters were in bed with her, just like the times in her childhood.

Sometimes my grandmother would be in the present and remember that I was her granddaughter. Then, it would pass and she would call me “the mean little girl that made her do things that she didn’t understand.”

I’ve been a nurse for almost thirty hears and I have worked in hospitals and long-term care facilities. As I started my career, Dementia/Alzheimer’s was not talked about as often as it is now. I think it was because people did not know how to treat or take care of these victims.

I’ve learned so much and know that every patient is unique. As a health care provider, I’ve learned to role play. Some residents like to hold a baby doll because they think it is their child. Residents who worked a night shift are still up all night and will sleep all day. There is always a reason why a resident acts a certain way, and if we can learn the reasons, we can make their quality of life much better.

Families make difficult decisions when they place a loved one in our care. We understand that. We all love our residents and treat them like family.

It was 1992; my husband and I were expecting our first baby. My husband was trying to start his own HVAC business, and had placed an ad in a local paper. That is how we met Jean.

Jean was a widow; she had lost her husband who was a minor league baseball player some years prior and they had never had any children. This left her well to do and with several buildings and rental property to tend to and take care of. She hired my husband and he began working for her.

As time went by we became close and more like family. Baskets were brought with the birth of all 3 of my girls, and she would tell me “There is nothing a new mother needs more than money in her pocket and a bottle of wine.”

When my husband and I divorced, Jean stayed close. She loved my girls as if they were her own. She made sure they didn’t want or need for anything. Holidays and Birthdays were always made special.

My girls were just shy of all becoming teenagers; Jean was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It began with forgetting where she was or where she parked her car. Eventually my ex-husband had to take her keys for her own safety. Shortly after that the frantic late night calls began, that she couldn’t find her keys. My ex-husband would gently explain, he had them and it was ok he would take her in the morning if she needed to go somewhere. Minutes after they would hang up she would call back in the same panic not remembering she had just talked to him nor the conversation, as if it never took place.

The time had come it was no longer safe for Jean to be at home anymore. Luckily, when she was diagnosed, she had drawn up papers for power of attorney listing my ex-husband to make her decisions. He placed her in the home where he worked maintenance, so he could keep close to her.

We had a few more years with her, and painfully watched her lose the memories that we all held precious. Eventually forgetting how to dress her self and in time how to eat. In the end we had someone from the family with her around the clock, my girls visited almost daily. In the last final days, my daughter was visiting her and a glimpse of her memory came through. She looked at my daughter and said,” You look and act just like your mother!” Something I can hear Jean saying.

It wasn’t long after that we got the phone call, she was gone. She may have lost her memory to the horrible disease of Alzheimer’s, but all the memories she gave my family, and my girls, will be in our hearts forever!